“That’s all we’re going to hear from national media is how we can’t win this game,” said Houston defensive lineman J.J. Watt.

Of all the remaining teams in the playoffs perhaps only Denver is given less respect than the Texans despite having one of the best runners and pass catchers in the sport and a defense that doesn’t suck. I’ve been just as guilty in the past.

When NBC broadcaster Tom Hammond spoke of injured Houston quarterback Matt Schaub, he pronounced the name “Shoop.” Twice. By now, everyone knows how to pronounce Shaub’s name but this is what it means to be a Texan.

They are indeed dramatic underdogs to the Ravens but there I go doing exactly what the Texans say the liberal, biased media is going to do: give them no chance. I’ve underestimated this team before and while this isn’t to say they’re going to beat the Ravens this game could be far more interesting than many believe.

Something strange has happened to this Houston team. A franchise that is down to its third string quarterback and lost Andre Johnson is starting to believe in itself.

Now, that belief might be short lived. It remains extremely questionable that a third string thrower can go into Baltimore and beat a vicious Ravens defense. Still there are few franchises that could overcome so many critical injuries and make the divisional round of the playoffs. It’s a great credit to the franchise.

HOUSTON: Andy Dalton was three-years old the last time Cincinnati won a playoff game. Madonna was kinda still like a virgin. The DVR was a twinkle in the VCR's eye. It's been a tremendous 21-year drought and it was thought that maybe the Bengals' fabulous rookie could end it against Houston.

The Texans were down to their third string quarterback. They were vulnerable. The problem for the Bengals was this: Dalton was more vulnerable.

After an initial flurry of accuracy and guts, Dalton fell apart, and that's putting it kindly. The Bengals placed the weight of the playoffs on Dalton's shoulders, and like a thousand other rookies, on a thousand past NFL fields, he melted. It happens. It happens to the best. Houston 31 Bengals 10...and reality for Dalton set in like a kick to the sternum.

The Bengals won mainly because Dalton was intercepted three times -- once for a gut-destroying pick-six at the end of the first half. Dalton fell apart but so did the entire Bengals team. Dalton was also sacked four times and the Bengals defense was picked apart in the second half. A 17-10 Houston lead was soon out of hand.

Dalton will learn from this. He's talented. He's smart. Most of all, he's just plain good. The Bengals playoff win drought will end one day, too.

OPENING HIT: Never believed in the Texans. Thought they were a soft team and when they lost half of their roster to hamstring injuries and busted legs and various other ailments but kept winning with a seventh third string quarterback, thought maybe I was wrong. Then came the Colts game on Thursday night.

Any team that considers itself a serious playoff threat doesn't lose to Dan Orlovsky. They don't let Dan Freaking Orlovsky drive the field on them in the final minutes of the game.

It's hard to kill the Texan offense. It's been critically wounded by injuries. But the defense is another story. That was just terrible. It was borderline inexcusable.

The critics of the Texans now have new rounds of ammo. No way you can take this team seriously when it loses against a team that previously had one victory.

I wrote after the Jets-Patriots game, after Derrick Mason was basically benched, the Jets would either keep benching Mason or cut him altogether. I didn't mention the other option: a trade.

I've confirmed a Houston Chronicle report that Mason was traded from the Jets to Houston. I've been told it's a low round pick. The newspaper reported it was a conditional pick.

This move has some interesting ramifications:

1. Is Andre Johnson's hamstring healing slower than expected? Or are the Texans simply looking for more depth? Maybe it's a combination of the two.

2. Rex Ryan is making a statement to his team. And I don't care if he says publicly Mason was benched to get other players reps. No way. Mason was sent packing because he publicly complained about the offense.

3. Mason is actually in a better place. He goes to an offense light years ahead of New York's.

4. Mason may have failed with the Jets but I get the feeling he'll do pretty well with the Texans.